The Power of Sight
by TheMidwestJess
Summary: There are so many things worth seeing.  But there's so much else that many can't see.


**A/N: This is my first Taang fic, and I don't have a plan for it. I'm just going to make the story up as I go along, so we'll see how it goes! :) This is set literally during and after the ending scene of "Sozin's Comet." It will switch between Aang's point of view and Toph's point of view.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA, although if I did, Kataang would NOT exist, and Zutara and Taang would coexist nicely. :D **

I laughed. "Well _I_ think you all look perfect," I said. Everyone chuckled and started dispersing. I walked over to Zuko and Iroh while Suki cooed over how "lovely" his drawing was. That was definitely true love. Everyone said Sokka was a terrible artist.

Iroh was apparently speaking to Zuko about tea. What a surprise. "You must know the flavor of the tea like the back of your hand. You must know what foods go well with each tea and where to buy the best leaves for the best final product. Zuko, are you listening? Zuko?"

I felt Sparky chuckle at his uncle, and I felt like that was a good time for some payback. After all, I had never gotten my special life-changing trip with Zuko like everyone else.

"Sparky, I wouldn't be laughing if I were you," I said as I sauntered up. "You have a lot to learn from your uncle, considering what happened the other day." Iroh perked up upon hearing this.

"What is this you speak of, Miss Toph?" Iroh asked curiously. He was definitely interested.

I nudged Zuko. "Well the other night when Katara was preparing dinner, she asked Sparky here to make the tea. Let's just say that it was pretty. . . bracing. Yes, that's the word." Right as I said this, I felt Aang leave the room. It seemed like he was moving out onto the terrace. I tried not to pay it much mind.

"Zuko! My own flesh and blood making _bad tea?_" Iroh said this like it left a bitter taste in his mouth. To him, it was certainly a dishonor. "How is this possible? You worked in my teashop for months!" Zuko's grumbling made me think he was slightly blushing.

Sadly, there were some things I couldn't enjoy because of my blindness. As much as I wanted to believe I could do everything everyone else could do, there were some things that were out of my reach. For instance, I couldn't tell when people were blushing. Yes, I could feel their heart speed up and could get a general sense of it, but I couldn't see it. I'd been told once that it was a lovely sight to see someone blush. Their cheeks would fill with color and often, they would look shy or nervous. I longed to see something like that, even just once.

When Iroh started chewing Zuko out, I took that as a sign that my payback was under way and removed myself from the equation. I meandered around the tea shop until settling into a chair and started "people watching" so to speak. Even though there were some things I couldn't see, there were definitely benefits to being blind. I didn't have to be in the same room as someone to "see" what they were doing.

I concentrated on the footsteps that I knew all too well. My favorite set. They belonged to a little bald monk with footsteps like a butterfly's wings. He was still out on the terrace. He wasn't doing much. Every now and then, he would walk to the other side of the patio or shift his weight. I imagined he was staring at the sunset. I'd heard that a sunset was also something to see. All too soon, another pair of footsteps joined him. They were that of Katara.

I didn't have anything against Katara. Honestly, I didn't. She was my friend, and I loved her. But in all honesty, I sometimes couldn't stand her only because I knew she had something special with Aang. It was something that went beyond Sifu and student, or even friends. It was a relationship that I wanted with him.

What I "saw" next was something that would make me wish I couldn't "see" the way I did. Katara walked towards Aang and they embraced. After they separated, they kissed. I stopped breathing. I knew they had kissed before, and I knew that Aang had initiated it, but Katara was confused before. She didn't know if she returned his feelings. At least before today, I had a shot because she thought Aang might lose interest if Katara didn't respond. I desperately wished I hadn't "seen" that.

I got up from my chair swiftly but quietly and walked out of the room. No one seemed to notice my leaving. Once free of that room and prying eyes, I ran upstairs to the room Iroh had shown me to earlier in the evening. I needed to get to a private space before I burst. Once in my room, I promptly shut my door, walked silently to my bed, and broke.

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><p>The sunset was astounding tonight. I could've stared at it for hours without being bored, but as with all things in nature, it was changing every second, and I only had a limited amount of time to enjoy it. It was then that I heard someone coming up behind me. Katara.<p>

A hug. A kiss. Here was this girl that I convinced myself I was in love with. Why did this not feel like it was supposed to? It felt hollow and empty, like there was something missing. A huge something. I went along with it. A lie.

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><p><strong>AN: So what do you guys think so far? If anyone's even read this, that is. If you have some suggestions for the plot, I would love to hear them! Although from writing this, I think I have a general direction of where I want this to go. At least for the next chapter or two. Please R&R! :D**

**2****nd**** A/N: Sorry whoever read this already, but I put in asterisks to separate Aang and Toph's POVs, but they didn't show up on this website, so it read through like it was all from one of their perspectives. I'm sorry, I'll not do that again. **


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